This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an apparatus for cleaning headlight lens and similar surfaces.
The headlights of vehicles, and particularly trucks, often become dirty and in cold conditions will also become coated with ice. Devices have heretofore been employed which are intended to clean headlights. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,617 shows a motor driven blade that rotates while in contact with the headlight. U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,218 uses a reciprocating flexible cable that wipes across the headlight. U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,001 uses a whipping flexible tube driven by pressured fluid. U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,088 uses pressured air and liquid directed onto the headlight from a circumferential channel.
These prior devices accomplish various degrees of cleaning and at various efficiencies. However, it is considered that a most efficient cleaning is not accomplished by these prior devices under all conditions that may be encountered by vehicle headlights and particularly truck headlights. That is, wiper blades and other mechanical means will not efficiently remove stubborn coatings such as road grime, mud or ice without repeated cycles. These mechanical devices also have the disadvantage that they may scratch or otherwise damage the headlights, particularly plastic lens covers which are now commonly in use and which are susceptible to scratching. As to pressured water and air, it has been found that although such does not damage the headlights or covers therefor, they do not clean the headlights thoroughly and in a reasonably short time. Also, in the pressured liquid systems, the vehicle must carry a large volume of the cleaning liquid. Such is undesirable in view of the weight and bulk thereof.